Jake Bean and Morgan Geekie Join Checkers on ATOs

Two more prospects are joining the Checkers’ playoff run as the team has signed forward Morgan Geekie and defenseman Jake Bean to amateur tryouts.

Bean and Geekie’s Tri-City Americans were eliminated from the WHL playoffs earlier this week, but their offseasons are on hold as the former will meet the team today in Lehigh Valley while the latter will join the Checkers back in Charlotte next week.

This marks the second consecutive year that Bean has joined the Checkers, as he hopped onto the roster for the final six games of the 2016-17 regular season as well as Charlotte’s first-round playoff series, though he was sidelined with an injury for the entirety of his stay. For Geekie, this stint will mark his first taste of the pro game.

The 19-year-old Bean has been a standout in the WHL, compiling 196 points (49g, 147a) in 219 games over four seasons with Calgary and Tri-City, including leading all WHL blue liners in goals in 2015-16. Bean, who was selected 13th overall by Carolina in 2016, also helped Canada to a Gold Medal at the last World Junior Championship.

Geekie, a third-round pick by Carolina in last year’s draft, racked up 202 points (78g, 124a) in 216 WHL games over three full season with the Americans. The 19-year-old has led Tri-City in both goals and points in each of the last two seasons and led the WHL in playoff goals through the first three rounds of this postseason.